Summer Wrap-Up Part 1

So I have a bunch of miscellaneous tidbits from the summer (and late spring really) that I wanted to share.  It's amazing as I look back to realize how much we did amidst a move!    And this isn't all of it either.  As you may remember, I recorded several of the activities we did with Stephanie and Sigmund earlier, plus Jonathan's birthday, plus our stay with Charles and Ellen.   And this is only PART 1!  We had a lot of fun and memorable moments.

Birthday Parties!
So this year marks the time that Mary is of age to have been invited to several fun birthday parties (Nadia's not pictured).  A dear, old friend of mine - Susan -  from middle school had a bug themed birthday party for her daughter this year and invited Mary!  We were thrilled to come.  They collected lady bugs, had bug face painting, and other fun bug themed stuff.

Sigmund had his 3rd birthday party - Thomas the Train themed.  Here I am with my sister, Catherine, who is Sigmund's aunt (which is how Stephanie and I met).

And Cousin Ruth had pony rides at her birthday!  It was super fun...

...Not to mention their awesome backyard!

Mother's Day
Here is a pic of me and the kids on Mother's Day and a pic below it of painting pottery for GrammE for her Mother's Day present.  It was a cookie jar with Mary and Jonathan hand prints.

Park/Library/Pool/Zoo/BBQs
No summer would be complete without trips to the park, the library, the pool, or the zoo or family BBQs..  (More pics in upcoming posts featuring Mary's swimming lessons.)

I love how Mary is enjoying the sun here

Ballet in the Park - A Midsummer Night's Dream featuring my friend Christina's girls.  Mary is the child standing.  : )

Some Not-So-Happy Moments
Oh I wish I was a perfect parent.  But I'm not as much as I try to be.  One day while at the bank, I misjudged that the automatic sliding doors would sense Jonathan as he got close to them.  They didn't and his poor little hand got a bit mangled.  I'm including it here, because I was so upset with myself and felt like the biggest idiot on the planet.  But I was SOOOO SOOOO grateful it wasn't worse.  It is a good reminder for me that I need to be constantly vigilant when it comes to the safety of my children.  

Okay.  So I know some of you will die that I'm posting this.  But I'm going to!  Here's why.  Because THIS is part of the everyday grunt work you do as a parent.  Worst Blow Out Ever.  ; )

Sailor Boy
So it goes without saying that I very much enjoy/ed dressing up Mary.  Guess what?  Jonathan isn't totally exempt.  I HAD to get this adorable sailor hat.  Stupid, because he refused to wear it.  Still, I don't regret it. He had this cute outfit to wear throughout summer.

Poor thing.  I made him wear the hat for the picture at least.

One Sunday after church, we couldn't go home because there was a showing happening.  So we had a picnic on the temple grounds and Jonathan snuggled up to me at one point.  How happy that we got a pic of it!

Happy Home Moments
So because we had to be out of the house so often for house showings, I found myself wanting to stay home when we could.  So here are some random home pics:

Jonathan loves helping with the dishes

Mary insisted on painting her own toe and finger nails.

Cool little Dude

Happily playing together

Sweet Boy

Mary and Daddy weeding the grass

Mary organizing

...And posting notes

Playing in the rain

Here Mary has earned a whole jar full of marbles by making good decisions.  She got to pick out a toy and she decided on the baby Rapunzel doll.

Okay.  Here is another where you are gonna think, "Annie!".  But I wanted to show you how Jonathan would eat his food.  He'd chew it up into tiny tiny pieces and spit them out.  He has grown out of that now.: )

Okay.  I had to include this last story because it was funny.  I should have included it in Jonathan's birthday post.  Well anyway, on Jonathan's birthday, Jeff and I drove separately to his parents house where we were having the party.  I'm not sure what happened - I think Jonathan had just woken up - and he was hungry and cranky.  We had a long drive and I didn't want to hear him upset the whole time, but the only thing I had on me were some snickers bars to go in my Snickers salad.  I handed him one, intending for the crinkly wrapper to appease him.  Well folks, I don't know how kids know, but they do.  He started chewing on that candy bar and was quiet the rest of the way to GrammE and Papa's.  I figured it WAS his birthday, right???  When I got there, Ellen was shocked and very amused.  We had a really good laugh about it.

 More to come!

The Move. A Fond Farewell. An Exciting, New Beginning.

Hello.  I don't know if anyone even reads these anymore....

But it is for me if no one else.

It is time now to document our move.

This year, we have spent much of our time and energy towards a move - preparing the house, putting it up for sale, trying to find a new home, moving twice, and now trying to get resettled.  It was really time to move - as our family was outgrowing our old home - the backyard and kitchen were pretty small, Jeff shared a closet with Jonathan, and we were being buried in toys.  Jeff really wanted to have an office to work at from home too.  I think I could have been happy there for a few more years.  But we knew it was coming and the timing felt right while the kids are young.

Oh but the sadness I feel at having left Highlands Ranch....  Most the time I am fine.  But there have been times of sadness too.  I sometimes wish that I could turn back the clock and change my mind when I said I'd be okay leaving.  But here we are in Parker -  And there is no turning back now!  There are many good things too to leaving.  And I'll talk more about those things in a minute.

We left our first home.  We put a lot of work into that home.  It was the home we brought two babies home to.  The home where we spent eight years of our lives.  We left a great ward.... a ward with truly outstanding women that I looked up to... Excellent in every way - educated, spiritual, hard working, beautiful, healthy, achievement oriented, kind, and generous.  I felt accepted for my strengths and my weaknesses and that people "got me".  I felt I was needed and appreciated.  And I felt that people loved my family - my introverted husband, and my two babies.  I'm sad for Mary having to leave a wonderful primary teacher and great playmates.  She needs friends right now.

I also just miss the city of Highlands Ranch.  I know people refer to it as "The Bubble".  But I find it to be more cosmopolitan than Parker - more diverse in people and politics, faster paced, and closer to the mountains and shopping.  I also already miss the rec centers.  They came out of HOA dues there.  Not here in Parker.  : (

But there are nice things too about leaving...

I am excited about having a fresh start.  I am so happy to be living just 5 short minutes from my sister, Jennifer.  I'm happy to live close to trails and parks.  I'm happy to be in a good solid ward.  I'm happy to be in a beautiful home.  And I'm grateful for the personal growth I am going through.  I'm happy how it is bringing Jeff and me closer.

So here are some pics from the move....

4205 Cherryhurst Court.  I'm really proud of all the work we did to the house and how it showed - not that I'm a great decorator by any stretch.  But we did a lot to improve the house over the course of our time there.  I will show the pictures the photographer took of the house, and list the improvements we made.

(Improvements over the years we were there:  New tree and house paint.  New roofing and gutters.)

Living room (New carpeting in the whole house)

Dining Room (New Window Treatments)

Kitchen (New refrigerator, dishwasher, sink)

Kitchen Nook (New glass in sliding door)

Family Room (Painted)

Mary's Room (Stripped wallpaper, new paint, window treatments)

Jonathan's Room (Stripped wallpaper, new paint, took out old window treatments)

Master Bedroom (Took out old window treatments)

Master Bath (Tiled floor - in 2nd bath as well.  They were both carpet originally.)

Backyard (Stained deck, put in sod and side fence)

Basement (New water heater, sprinklers fixed)

I didn't post the pictures of the bathrooms.  Not that exciting.  : ) We also had a new cement floor laid in the garage and the garage door fixed several times!

When we first moved in... back in 2005

We brought Mary and Jonathan home here.

After our house sold, we weren't able to get into our new home because we hadn't closed yet.  So Jeff's parents offered for us to come and stay with them.  Not only did they offer, they really seemed to want us to!  So we stayed in their finished basement for a month.  I have to say that it was a very good experience.  And we were so blessed to be able to stay in such a nice accommodations, especially amid a stressful double move.

We had fun.  Here Jeff is taking Mary and Jonathan for a ride through their neighborhood.

The scenery was really pretty at their house.  Here you can see - if you look closely - a deer standing in front of the neighbor's house.

Playing with the kids in "our room".

Jonathan sat in a chair that Jeff sat in growing up.  Kinda fun.

  Mary bonded lots with Belle.

Jonathan enjoyed scaling their windows.... YIKES!

  The kids had so much fun with GrammE and Papa.  It was wonderful!

After a month of displacement, we finally moved in to our new home about a month ago.

We are still unpacking...

(Jonathan loves pressing the buttons on my yet-to-be set up treadmill)

So now.... we are here.  And we have so much to do!  But it is exciting to think about starting this new chapter of our lives.

Farewell dear home in Highlands Ranch.

Home in Parker, it is nice to meet you!